Metal plating (also known as electroplating or electrodeposition) is a coating technology that deposits a thin later of a metal or alloy on a conductive surface to impart particular functional or aesthetic properties. During the plating process, the object to be plated functions as the positively charged cathode while the desired plating material serves as the negatively charged anode and source of the metallic ions that will form the final coating. Immersing both materials in a bath or solution of electrolyte salts and adding an electrical current causes an oxidation/reduction reaction on the surface of the cathode where the metallic ions are deposited.